Author Interview ~ Jenny B. Jones & Book Giveaway

Jenny B. Jones is the author of A Katie Parker Production series. Though now an adult, she still relates to the trauma and drama of teen life. She is thrilled to see her writing dreams come true, as her previous claim to fame was singing the Star Spangled Banner at a mule-jumping championship. (The mules were greatly inspired.) The author resides in Arkansas, where, as a teacher, she hangs out with teens on a regular basis.




Your first novel just came out. Tell us about it.



In Between, my debut book, is being published by Th1nk (NavPress). It’s sort of like Annie meets Gilmore Girls.

The story is centered around Katie Parker, a 16 year old girl who can’t catch a break. With a mother in jail and a father unaccounted for, she finds herself in a mini-van bound for In-Between, Texas, home of her new foster parents. Katie finds or creates chaos at every opportunity as she adjusts to life with this family. Her foster parents, a pastor and wife, have a few secrets of their own, and life begins to unravel for everyone.


(One name will be drawn from comments to win a copy of In Between.)

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got the contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

This is a total God story. I had just decided to get serious about pursuing writing the summer before ACFW Conference in ’05. I have written all my life, but never with a driven purpose. So that summer I accepted the fact that there wasn’t a publishing fairy who was gonna wave her wand over me, and that if I really wanted to be published, I was going to have to get proactive.

So I signed up for the ACFW conference and signed up for a critique with a published CBA author that I thought was most likely to “get me.” In the meantime, I rededicated my prayer time to include the Prayer of Jabez and changed my attitude and expectations. God was gonna do something big in my life.

Fast forward to the ACFW conference in 2005. I’m going there armed with nothing but anxiety, big hopes, and my work in progress, which weighed in at a whopping 20 pages. I didn’t sign up for editor or agent appointments, as I was advised not to since I didn’t have anything close to a completed manuscript. But I was completely prayed up and totally confident (which is so not me) that God was gonna move some mountains for me.

I went into that conference with nothing but my giant, impossible expectations. On day two I had my critique with this author. She gave me some great advice and suggestions, then offered to contact NavPress and see if I could send them a proposal (which I didn’t even know what that was at the time!). On March 24 at 2:17 p.m. while driving down the Interstate 540 in Arkansas, I got the call from Nav and was offered a contract. I know the likelihood of that all happening is zero percent. I love that about God.

Do you still have self-doubts about your writing?

This is probably the part where I should be attempting to convince people to buy my books by saying, “No, no, I so believe in my writing. Yes, it’s so clear to me that I have the gift.” But that’s definitely not the case. Writing has given me daily (second by second) doses of junior high levels of insecurity (and we all know it doesn’t get any worse than that.). I doubt everything.

Was there ever a time you thought of quitting?

I just started! Why would I quit? …Oh, my gosh. What have you heard?

What mistakes did you make while seeking a publisher or agent?

I think when trying to secure an agent, I didn’t slip him/her enough crisp bills. No, actually God took all of that out of my hands and just hooked this girl up in terms of finding a publisher. He obviously knew I would totally fumble. He knows me so well…

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

The author that worked with me at the ACFW Conference in ’05 said something to me I will never, ever forget. When I told her I had been advised not to pitch that week, she said, “The rules are made for everyone but you.” (Not me as in me personally, but for those willing to take the chance.) I have no doubt this author didn’t know she was saying something of monumental importance to me, something that so fit with my Prayer of Jabez attitude.

But when I heard that I got chills. I heard the hallelujah chorus. I felt the arms of God around me. I left that room and immediately burst into tears at how personal and amazing God is. It was my confirmation that God was right there in all of this. I went to ACFW with these ridiculous expectations, and He met me there. Now if I could just get Him to give into my ridiculous expectation of wanting my body to look like Jennifer Aniston’s (exercise free, of course)…

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

I’m lucky that I really haven’t gotten any poor advice. I think there’s a lot of really sound advice out there. A lot of rules and conventions that apply 99.9 percent of the time. But who knows? God doesn’t play by our little rules of convention. There are always exceptions. If you feel God telling you to go for it, then do it. Be obedient to Him and not what’s expected of you.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

That there aren’t 30 hours to the day. My days have never been shorter. Any other pet peeves are of my own making. I procrastinate. I am an accomplished time waster. Seriously, if wasting time was an Olympic event, I would be bringing home the gold on a regular basis.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I’ve just started, so I can’t exactly look back yet. But I am really looking forward to the day when I have some experience under my belt and have a sense that I’m closer to knowing what I’m doing. But on the other hand, I wish I had started earlier. There are all sorts of variables that we think should be in place before we start writing that book or go back to school or climb that mountain. I should’ve just jumped in sooner. But now is good too. I like now. ; ) Also don’t wait to start writing when it feels more natural or comes easier to you. The day writing gets easier? Does that occasion even exist?

Was there ever a difficult set back that you went through in your writing career?

I have a writing career? That sounds funny. Oh, you were serious. Um…no. But it’s daunting to know that no matter what life dishes out, from the daily blahs to a personal or family emergency, I am still accountable to that keyboard. Sometimes I get paranoid and think, "What if I get attacked by a rabid schnauzer? And I end up in the hospital for a week? And when I get out my arm is broken and in a cast. And I can’t type. And what if I’m so doped up on pain meds that I can’t do anything but drool, let alone create a cohesive plot?"

Sigh….

You know, as a teacher, I can call in a substitute for these common rabid dog attacks. But as a writer the show must go on.

What are a few of your favorite books?

I love Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. I love Billerbeck’s Ashley series. And I think some of the best books written are by YA author Richard Peck. If you like humor, great character and setting development, you MUST check out A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago.

What work have you done that you’re especially proud of and why?

When I was in the eighth grade I entered a local writing contest. My Christmas short story won me a turkey. A turkey. When you taste the good life that writing can bring (such as poultry products), there’s no going back.

I’m also proud of the second book in the Katie Parker series, On the Loose, which comes out next September. With the first book, part of you thinks it’s just a fluke deal. Like everyone at the publishing house was inhaling markers and white out the day they signed you. And you worry that it was just a random thing that you were able to complete a novel. So when the second one is done, more of a sense of “okay, I really can do this” sets in.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has spoken to you lately in regards to your writing?

Two things I keep posted. One is the line “Deliver me from mediocrity.” I think it’s from a Relient K song. (I could be totally wrong, but that’s what I’m going with). I pray over that idea often.

The other is from Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This is my life verse and the theme for my series. I love the possibilities hinted at. I love the idea that we can cook up some great plans for our lives, but God wants even more for us.

Can you give us a look into a typical day for you?

I’m a full time teacher, so I go teach junior high kids all day. I wake up. Pray. Pull out hair. Go to work. Pull out hair. Come home. Pull out remaining hair. Eat dinner. Write.

I try to get in about three hours of writing, but not every day. I’m really involved with my friends, family, and church. Okay, and with certain TV programs. I write on Saturdays, but recently became convicted that I need to take Sundays off (I know, I’m a little slow on the draw).

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

This varies. I feel okay if I get 1500 words in a day. Sometimes this doesn’t happen. At all. A great day is about 2400 words. I’m still trying to find the magic recipe for making sure those days occur more often. I’m also trying to figure out the magic formula for making cellulite disappear, so if you anyone knows the answer to either situation, please let me know.

Are you an SOTP (seat of the pants) writer or a plotter?

I’m mostly SOTP. Unfortunately some days my writing is more S.T.O.P. An ideal day involves me having a one page brainstorm for that day’s chapter and then going with it. The writing goes so much faster, and it seems to really jive and flow (Did I just use the word jive?). But those days are not as frequent as I’d like. Most of the time I’m 99.9% SOTP, and that’s been hard for me. I’m such a plotter wanna-be.

What author do you especially admire and why?

I am really into ABA author Meg Cabot right now. She has a great website that really speaks to young girls (or girls my age). And frankly, she has one of THE best blogs. I’m not into many blogs, but hers is hilarious. I think her blogs are funnier than her books. And I like that she hasn’t totally bought into the hot trend in girl YA, which is centered around characters that are very shallow, very loose moraled (is that a word?), and very socialite-ish.

I’m also a huge fan of Kristen Billerbeck. Her Ashley Stockingdale series is SWEEPING through the large singles ministry at my church. It’s like she wrote about us. (And I don’t mean that in a good way. It’s kind of pathetic. We really DO eat at the same places all the time. And we ALL have a Martha Stewart drill sergeant type in our Bible study groups, right?) I really respect how Kristen blazed a trail for CBA authors and author-hopefuls. Had I not read her books, I think I wouldn’t have realized that the Christian market can be a place for reality and humor. She has made fallibility funny and genuine. Her characters aren’t perfect and they make mistakes, but they are in pursuit of Christ, and it’s a fun ride.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

Favorite is all the “what ifs” right now. Who knows what this journey is going to lead to in terms of ministry and career goals? And even if I only have two books to my name, I’m glad I can cross something off of my life’s to-do list. (But I hope a few books isn’t it. Because then I’ll have to focus on something else on the list like skydiving or climbing Mt. Everest. And…ew. All those require physical activity. And sweat.)

Least Favorite: Time loss with family and friends. Or being stressed all the time because you’re never really done. And I wish it came easier to me. Sitting down watching Oprah comes naturally to me. Why can’t writing feel like that? I want writing to be as easy as opening a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and eating the whole thing. Maybe next week…

How much marketing do you do? What's your favorite part of marketing?

Yeah, the marketing aspect stresses me out. I’ve been able to glean a lot of ideas from ACFW, so that’s been helpful. Some other ideas I’ve come up with on my own include: going on the Today Show and talking to Matt Lauer (I would never call him glib), sky writing some promos, having the In Between cover explode into fireworks at Disney World, putting a big sign on Times Square (right next to P. Diddy), and creating a series of commercials to air during the next Super Bowl. I’ve had a little trouble getting anyone to talk to me about these ideas those.

Until those things happen, check out:
http://www.jennybjones.com
http://www.jennybjones.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/akatieparkerproduction

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Yes, I have advice. My advice is that if you are someone who has real advice, please contact me. I’m so clueless.

Seriously, join a group like ACFW. Get connected. Take advantage of every opportunity such as conferences, forums, critiques, etc. Get a critique group. I’d still be on page six if it weren’t for mine. And just pray your little heart out. I understand that we have a small chance of getting published—like two percent or something? But I think God looks at our numbers and our statistics and just laughs. Isn’t he so much bigger than two percent? If it’s His will for you to write or be published, then nothing’s going to stop Him. 100 % guaranteed.